Chapter 113: Parasite

Zhang Xiaoxiao didn't go back to the company.

Just like Bai Yi's father said, when you do something wrong, you have to take responsibility.

Not going back, losing her job, that was punishment.

But if she did go back, what kind of punishment would Bai Yi's father give her?

She didn't want to think about it, so she just stood there silently.

………

Night fell, the clouds in the sky were thin, and a few scattered stars could faintly be seen.

The lawn was packed with young men and women, laughing and messing around with each other, their eyes full of anticipation fixed on the stage in front of them.

On the stage, colorful spotlights shot into the sky along with the music.

"Wow, what a spectacular opening ceremony."

Lin Yilin sat on the grass, her eyes completely drawn to the lights on the stage.

You pathetic thing! The most dazzling man in the world is right beside you, and you can't even spare him a glance!

Jiang Linyuan sat next to her, watching the performance on stage with boredom.

He'd already seen the rehearsals so many times. The only thing that piqued his interest was the little surprise Miss Bai had prepared for Phone Girl.

"You couldn't get Su Muzhi to come?"

Shen Wanyu had appeared beside him at some point, bending her knees to sit down next to Jiang Linyuan.

"Nope, Xiao Su's not feeling well. She needs to rest quietly."

Jiang Linyuan snapped back to reality and looked at Shen Wanyu, his gaze trailing downward from her face and settling on her hands.

Her fingers resting on her knees were slender and fair, like soft, white glutinous rice.

If I just sucked and nibbled on them here, she'd definitely let out a shy, half-genuine whimper.

Maybe she'd even get flustered and angry, raising her hand to lightly swat at me. Just thinking about it, I feel like I could eat another bucket of rice.

Slurp slurp.

"Deputy Minister Jiang, stop that lecherous look."

Shen Wanyu pulled her hands back into her sleeves and shot Jiang Linyuan a glare.

"...Department Head, that was an appreciative look!"

Jiang Linyuan regretfully withdrew his gaze and looked over at Xiao Yilin.

Her jelly-like little hands were also bouncy and springy, extremely soft and sweet. If only...

"Senior, are you secretly staring at me?"

Lin Yilin suddenly turned her head, her bright, lively eyes fixed on him.

"Yes, Xiao Yilin is just too beautiful today. My eyes couldn't help but be drawn to you."

Jiang Linyuan shamelessly admitted it.

Lin Yilin turned her body away, leaving him with a view of her ponytail.

"Sweet talker."

No more hands to look at. A bit of a shame.

"Classmate Lin, could you move over a bit? I want to sit with Senior!"

Yu Songsong came bouncing over again, plopping down beside Lin Yilin and asking with a smile.

"No, no way! Everyone from the External Liaison Department should sit together, and the Academic Department sits together. We have to follow the rules!"

Lin Yilin was startled by the bouncy ball, panicking as she grabbed Jiang Linyuan's arm.

"That's right, Xiao Yilin is correct."

Jiang Linyuan quickly cut off Yu Songsong's next move before she could even start.

Xiao Yilin was too innocent. She couldn't be bullied by a bad woman.

"Mmph... fine."

Yu Songsong looked a bit wronged and reluctantly sat down behind Jiang Linyuan.

Not far away, Jiang Zhiyao watched the group of girls around Jiang Linyuan, her expression blank.

"Holy shit, Jiang Linyuan's a beast. One, two, three... is it three women fighting one man or what?"

Huang Taoyan exclaimed in amazement, but inside, she was thinking that if she added her own useless little cousin, it would be like four seas grabbing the golden cudgel!

Jiang Linyuan, the mighty pillar holding up the sea. The waters might just drown him eventually.

You motherfucking kid, I wouldn't be surprised if you kicked the bucket one day.

"Yao Yao, aren't you going over?"

Huang Taoyan poked Jiang Zhiyao. Logically, her little bestie should be charging over with a knife right now.

"No."

Jiang Zhiyao shook her head, looking at Jiang Linyuan's back, gently biting her lower lip.

How long can I hold it off? A lifetime?

If some things aren't said clearly, nothing will change.

But even if they are said clearly, will it develop in the direction I hope?

...

"Department Head, what little surprise did Miss Bai prepare for Phone Girl? Give me a hint."

Jiang Linyuan spotted Zhang Xiaoxiao and Bai Yi, who had arrived late, among the crowd, and casually asked.

"Just a farce."

Shen Wanyu also turned her head to look at the two. After a moment of silence, she suddenly spoke again.

"Or maybe it's a tragedy, hard to say."

The Department Head must have secretly read minds again. She never shares good things with others, not a shred of a sharing mindset!

Such a selfish person!

Jiang Linyuan glared at Shen Wanyu, hoping she'd seriously reflect on herself.

Shen Wanyu glanced at him.

As if to say, "I'm wrong, hehe."

The Department Head was cute like that.

"*Sigh...*"

Shen Wanyu closed her eyes.

Jiang Linyuan was satisfied. The Department Head had conceded.

He turned his attention back to Zhang Xiaoxiao and Bai Yi, mainly to Zhang Xiaoxiao.

She didn't feel right. She looked utterly lifeless.

...

"Xiao Xiao, are you not feeling very happy today?"

Bai Yi looked at Zhang Xiaoxiao, who seemed unusually heavy, and asked cautiously.

"I'm like this every day."

Zhang Xiaoxiao pointed at the performance on stage.

"Just watch the show. This band doesn't seem like college students. Did Xingnan specially hire them from outside?"

Bai Yi looked at the band singing passionately on stage. It was the one she had specially invited for Zhang Xiaoxiao.

"Xiao Xiao, you... don't you recognize them? That's the band you loved the most in college."

"Is it?"

Zhang Xiaoxiao was stunned. She listened for a while before slowly speaking.

"I guess so."

"Xiao Xiao, you're definitely not right today."

Bai Yi pouted, rubbing her face against Zhang Xiaoxiao's.

"You can tell me anything, you know?"

Tell you what? How can I tell you?!

Just seeing Bai Yi so carefree made her feel restless inside.

Jealous, envious, and even a hint of hatred.

She just got lucky, just had a good father!

She suppressed the anger in her heart and forced a smile onto her face.

"I'm fine, Yi Yi. Don't ask anymore."

Bai Yi looked at her for a moment, then awkwardly pulled her arms back, looking a bit embarrassed.

Neither of them said a word. They just sat there in silence.

After a while, Bai Yi suddenly spoke.

"I'm going to the restroom."

"Do you want me to go with..."

Zhang Xiaoxiao instinctively started to speak but stopped midway.

"Yeah, go ahead."

Bai Yi stared straight at her, nodded, and left.

Watching her retreating figure, Zhang Xiaoxiao thought, if Bai Yi were from an ordinary family.

Maybe they really could have been friends.

No, if she were from an ordinary family, I would never have become friends with her at all.

She turned her head to look at the performance on stage, pushing everything out of her mind.

Unemployment, Bai Yi's father's warning, the future... she temporarily stopped thinking about all of it.

The performance drew to a close. The host walked onto the stage with a big smile.

"Next up is the sponsor's speech segment, but our sponsor is a bit shy and also wants to take this opportunity to say something to her best friend."

"So I'll be relaying the message for her."

Rich people just love doing meaningless things.

Zhang Xiaoxiao thought from the audience.

The host cleared her throat, pulled out a card, and began to read.

"So, today is my friend's birthday. A really, really good friend. We've known each other for many years. Even though she can be a bit bad, she's still my best friend."

"I'm not very smart. I don't know how to say a lot, so I'll just say it straight."

The host took a deep breath and shouted loudly.

"Xiao Xiao, happy birthday!"

As she spoke, the Happy Birthday song started playing, and a person dressed in a rabbit mascot costume walked onto the stage, took the microphone, and said a little sheepishly.

"Xiao Xiao, happy birthday. Can... can you come up here?"

It was Bai Yi's voice.

Up until now, Zhang Xiaoxiao's mind had been a complete blank.

The crowd below let out a chorus of "Wow" in admiration, followed by a burst of very sincere congratulations.

"Happy birthday!!"

Listening to the ecstatic shouts around her, Zhang Xiaoxiao, for some reason, suddenly felt like laughing.

It was as if her entire life was a game, a game for the rich.

A tremendous sense of disparity erupted within her.

Like father, like daughter.

So that's how it was. So that's how it was!

The music festival's sponsor was Bai Yi's family. What a big show. What a willful gift.

The chaotic, joyful noise around her, the overlapping sounds, trapped her like a cage.

Just like Bai Yi on Purple Mountain, pressured into confessing.

So disgusting. So nauseating. So painful.

Zhang Xiaoxiao felt dizzy. She couldn't hear anything. She couldn't see anything.

She didn't want to stay any longer.

So she stood up and ran.

Under the confused and puzzled gazes of the many spectators, she fled in the opposite direction of the stage.

The rabbit mascot on stage tried to chase her but tripped and fell, slowly being helped up by others.

Below the stage.

Shen Wanyu watched Zhang Xiaoxiao, who had already run far away, with a look that was both pitying and utterly incomprehensible.

"What a pitiful and hateful creature. She was sheltered and protected when she was being bullied, so naturally, she would want to consolidate her position."

"And to consolidate her position, there are only two ways: improving herself or putting others down."

Shen Wanyu withdrew her gaze, turning to look at the large, bewildered rabbit mascot on stage.

"Unfortunately, it seems she chose the latter more often."

"She, without even realizing it, became the new bully."

"And the one who tacitly allowed all of this, I dislike even more."

Like an unconcerned spectator, she commented freely. After saying all this with detached indifference, she closed her eyes again.

"Just as hateful as her. Knowing everything is wrong, yet continuing anyway."

Jiang Linyuan sat beside her, listening quietly, then asked a question.

"Even if she's enjoying it, is that still wrong?"

"...That's not a question for me to answer."

Shen Wanyu said.